Stir for return of Nano project starts in Singur

Singur, Oct 10(UNI) Altogether 500 people, including construction material suppliers and ''willing'' farmers, today started an indefinite dharna in front of the gate of Tata's abandoned small-car unit here demanding that the Nano project be brought back.

Altogether 22 syndicates representing suppliers and farmers, who had willingly given away their land for housing the Tata's project here, gathered under the banner christened ''Singur Nano Bachao Committee.'' They demanded the return of Tata's Nano unit in the state and iterated that the small-car project should not be taken to Sanand in Gujarat.

They also prevented the trucks from entering the project site, earmarked for ancillary industries for taking out the machinaries, claiming that dues worth Rs 200 crore was pending from the vendors.

'' We will not let them take away a single article from the site unless our dues are cleared,'' the agitators said.

Singur Nano Banchao Committee Convenor Dwarik Ghosh rued, ''I started the business of supplying construction materials with the money I received for giving land for Tata's small car unit here. The Tata's pull out has now left me nowhere. My share of dues stands to a tune of Rs 55 lakh.'' Mr Ghosh said their demands would be placed before local Trinamool MLA Rabindranath Bhattacharjee, adding they wanted to move to party chief Mamata Banerjee through the former.

'' We will even call upon Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Governnor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, if needed,'' he added.

Meanwhile, Singur witnessed a different ''Dusshera'' yesterday.

The cracker-stuffed effigies of Ms Baneree, Singur Krishi Jami Rakkha Committee convernor Becharam Manna, Leader of Opposition Partho Chattopadhyay and social activist Anuradha Talwar were burnt on National Highway two.

UNI XC SB DB1822